Courtesy of Kristen Weber
Kristen Weber recently penned her first book, a children's book titled Ava’s First Day of Kindergarten, in hopes of spurring thoughtful conversations about diversity. Available beginning June 1, the book is a natural extension of The L.I.F.E. Foundation (Leaders In Furthering Education), the nonprofit that Weber founded eight years ago. The group aims to provide educational resources to St. Louis children, including those in foster care and residential shelters. Weber recently discussed the foundation's mission and her new book, in which the main character forms new friendships—and a love for learning.
Courtesy of Kristen Weber
What inspired you to write the book? We have a variety of literacy activities and, through my work, we guide these children in book selections and talk about books. I did not see many selections for some of our multicultural families, so it inspired me: I wanted to write one where I could show all children in the pages. The students in the classroom are of every ethnicity, and Ava and her parents are of a skin tone that pretty much all children could relate to.
So Ava’s race and ethnicity are purposely ambiguous? Yes. I picked Ava's name because it's a multicultural name. And her skin tone and her parents' skin tone is one that could represent [many groups]. I wanted a character that every child can see themselves in. Then, the classmates Ava is encountering throughout the kindergarten day are of every specific ethnicity.
What do you hope readers take away from the book? My hope was to write a great children's book but also to create a conversation about the need for more diverse books. It's hard to guide an African-American child toward a book about a white girl going to school with all white students. Showing children's experiences through their own eyes was my main purpose—something that reflects them.
Did you encounter any challenges during the writing process? Writing has always been a passion of mine, but I work in the legal field, and I'm more of a comprehensive writer. So creating something with minimal wording that would appease a child was challenging. I was aiming for preschool, because I feel the conversation needs to start right away, not when they're already in school. I was trying to make a point with minimal words and provide a story that a child would love. It's a poem. Making sure the words flowed properly, that it wasn’t overly complicated, that the illustrations were energetic and bright, took about a two-year process.
What was it like to work with the illustrator? I purposely picked an international illustrator and someone who had the same passion for children's literacy. Isabel [Belmonte] is from Spain. Hopefully, the book can be translated into Spanish, and she can promote the same kinds of conversations we're having in this country in her country. She also helped choose the name Ava, one that would resonate in both countries.
And the book's proceeds go back to the L.I.F.E. Foundation? The funds are going to the Stories for All program and the Read to Succeed program. Stories for All is about getting more diverse books that relate to the children into their hands; for example, we have books for children in foster care that specifically talk about foster care but also have characters who reflect the children who get them, regardless of their race or ethnicity. Read to Succeed provides books to local residential shelters, including Almost Home, and kids in foster care. More people are talking about the need for diverse books, but I wanted to make it come sort of full circle, where I'm creating the conversation, providing the book selection, and donating all of the proceeds back to the St. Louis community for more literacy activities—and providing more diverse books for children.
For more information, visit Weber’s website, where book buyers will receive a reading goodie bag and can purchase the book and make an additional donation. The book is also available through Amazon.
